Major League Baseball backers offer to buy Portland school district headquarters

Portland Public Schools has received an unsolicited offer to buy its headquarters from a real estate firm connected to businessmen working to bring a Major League Baseball team to Portland, a district spokesman said Tuesday.

Schools spokesman Dave Northfield did not immediately respond to questions about how much real estate firm Trammell Crow offered for the district’s Rose Quarter property. Its market value is more than $100 million, according to county assessor records.

A past analysis found that selling its headquarters and relocating its central functions would be a money-loser for the school district. But real estate conditions have changed.

Northfield said Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero met twice with representatives of Portland Diamond Project, a company set up by the would-be management group, headed by former Trail Blazers announcer Mike Barrett and Craig Cheek, a retired Nike executive.

“The superintendent listened and reiterated our core mission and priorities which focus on improving student outcomes,” Northfield said of the meetings. He said the district is not “actively marketing” its headquarters property, but got an unsolicited offer from the group.

The school board is scheduled to meet Thursday for its first discussion of the offer.

— Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209

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